Helen Scales and the Eye of the Shoal

Hello, my avid readers,

We have a real treat this week as I was privileged enough to interview Helen Scales, a bestselling author who focuses on marine biology. Helen currently lives in London, and I've interviewed her before for my undergraduate thesis. I reached out to her knowing she had a new book come out. My timing was just perfect as her newest book The Eye of the Shoal is going to be released in paperback this coming week! Stay tuned! You can pick it up here! 
I read The Eye of the Shoal electronically, and after reading the first two chapters, realizing I needed an actual copy because I would reread it again. The book focuses on the interactions between humans and fish, as Helen describes the evolutionary history of fish, some of the biggest fish discoveries in history, and how we currently view these creatures. Between chapters, there are myth stories detailing some of the oldest documentation of fish, whether they are deities or mythical creatures. We follow Helen's own story as well, as she takes us into scenes of her own life, from discovering her love of marine life to diving into the deep waters of the ocean.
Fish are creatures that have fascinated our kind for centuries, as they seem alien and different to us. Helen gives a new perspective to see our aquatic neighbors, one of wonder and whimsy. I cannot recommend this book enough, like the stories she tells of some of the unknown and strangest creatures in the ocean you will never have heard about. Her descriptions will have you mesmerized, and you can feel as though you've traveled throughout the world in just one sitting.
Listen to Helen's interview below as I ask her more about this book, which myths she chose, her take on our current interactions with fish, and why this book really matters:

Tom Morris and Medical Mysteries

Hello everyone!

This week I'm introducing writer Thomas Morris, and his book The Mystery of the Exploding teeth. Tom started this book by writing a blog on Victorian medical reports, and the weird case studies he found. He realized that there were enough weird stories (where patients were sticking things up...places...or limbs were falling off...or they were peeing out of different orifices), that he had to compile the good ones and write a book about them. 

Thus The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth was born. Tom breaks down the book into different parts to discuss different attributes of the cases he finds. I found the book both interesting and graphic, and I was so shocked on multiple occasions by what had happened to the patient or by what objects were found, that I couldn't stop reading. This book is gripping from one page to the next, and the only thing I can say is patients get really creative in swallowing objects or inserting them. But these make for good stories and some of the stories have plot twists that are both amazing and freaky. I highly recommend for anyone looking for a fun new read, you can pick up his book here. 

I had the pleasure of interviewing Tom about this book a while ago. Tom used to work for the BBC and currently resides in Canada. You can find the interview below.